The
music playing is Sweet Caroline by Neil Diamond Peter's
Favorite song

EULOGY
for
RSM WO1 Peter Lander

11th July 2013
Following National Service with the 2nd Battalion in Trieste, Peter
joined the 1st Bn and served with them until the Lancashire Fusiliers
disbanded in 1969.Peter was RSM of 2nd Bn Royal Regiment
of Fusiliers
1976 to 1979
and
RSM of the 5th Bn Royal Regiment of Fusiliers
1979 to 1981 in Coventry

Peter
(Jnr) words about his dadMany people say that their Dads are one
in a million, its an often used phrase to describe how special
someone is to them.

My Dad started his working life in a wallpaper
factory, and as such he was one in hundreds. At that time he met my
mum and the fact that this beautiful lady agreed to marry him already
showed how special he was.

He then joined the army, becoming one of hundreds
of thousands of soldiers in the british army.

He narrowed the numbers further, as his talents
were noticed, being promoted through the ranks until he became the Regimental
Sergeant Major. There is only one of those in a regiment, and that showed
how truly unique my dad was.

At that he could have rested on his laurels,
but that wasnt his way, and he excelled in that role, as he excelled
at everything he did. All of the tributes to him from his colleagues
throughout the army, pay homage to what he brought to the role of RSM.
He was a gentleman. Ill let that sink in a second as not many
people are deserving of that name. Yet so many who have written about
him, on the Lancashire Fusilier web page, through to facebook, have
said the same, he was a true gentleman. He understood ceremony, how
things should be done, and he made sure that the traditions and gravitas
of the army were carried on in his name whilst he served.

This sounds like a serious man, and when occasion
allowed, that he was. Yet he was also a joker and all here who knew
him have almost certainly been on the end of one of his dry comments,
his wicked smile or his contagious laugh, and had no choice but to laugh
with him.

He was an entertainer, never far from the
centre of attention, usually in the middle of it, whether in a swimming
pool in Hong Kong, conducting an orchestra of his very own creation
or in a chicken suit in the working mans club in Ramsbottom, he
belonged on centre stage.

He was also a family man who loved his family
dearly. We followed him throughout his travels, my mum suddenly also
finding herself in Hong Kong, with a Chinese maid and a social life
like none other, all of us enriched by the experiences, not just of
geography, but of a man who was respected in every posting. We reflected
in his glory.

This again sounds like a man of gravity, of
seriousness, yet his family were not immune to that famous smile, that
sense of humour either. He would wander with us on a seafront, in Holland,
or the UK, our caravan safely on site as we took in the evening air.
As we walked, he would reach out a hand to his wife, a loving gesture
that all couples share. And as she took his hand, for the 100th time,
he would place a small rubber shark in it and for the 100thtime, my
mum would jump back in horror, before realizing that hed got her,
yet again .

He was also a mentor. He guided me through
my childhood with me always knowing that he was behind me. He encouraged
my decision to go to boarding school to ensure that I had a good last
2 years of education, and then with a firm hand, kept me there when
homesickness took hold. He even encouraged me when I told him, nervously,
that I was going to bat for the other side to join the RAF rather
than the Army. This man, who went from wallpaper factory worker to Regimental
Sergeant Major taught me that I should never feel second best to anyone,
to have confidence and conviction in all that I do, to do every single
job to the best of my ability, but most of all, he taught me to smile,
as I know he is smiling with us right now.

Karen's
words about her dadDad was very poorly as a child, he was
born with a heart murmur and he had scarlet fever and pneumonia and
spent a year in a convalescent home recovering.

This did not discourage him from his determination
to become a soldier and then typical of Dad to become a first class
soldier, which he did with flying colours.

I remember him in his forties running for miles before
breakfast, wrapped in bin bags because he said that if his men had to
pass the BFT test then so did he.

His determination and pride in everything he did
has been passed to both of us and we will keep this alive as we forge
ahead with our careers.

I have many memories of my precious Dad, which I
will treasure, most of which involve him laughing and making us laugh
which is a skill in itself.

He used to roar laughing watching Norman Wisdom and
Morecambe and Wise and listening to Mike Harding, we had many happy
hours laughing with him and at him as he shed tears of laughter at the
antics of these comedy giants.

He loved Glen Campbells music, and he had a
reel-to-reel Grundig tape recorder, which he used to set up with the
microphone on a stand, inches from the t.v. and record Glens show,
we had to sit very quiet and still for the whole show, I think he must
have told Peter Kay about this.

On rare occasions Dad would break into song, in particular
Sweet Caroline, the song has been painful for me to hear
for a long time and I hope that in years to come I can listen to it
and smile as I remember him, head back and in full voice with the odd
itchy coo thrown in to enhance the song.

I can remember being on a bus full of army families
on their way to new beginnings in a new country, all nervous and excited
and Dad being the life and soul on the bus, laughing and joking and
putting people at ease as they started a new chapter in their lives.

My most treasured memory is from when I was a small
child in Hong Kong and on Saturday nights when he was dressed
up ready to take Mum out and she was still getting ready, he would play
Save the last dance for me on the stereo, place my feet
on his, hug me so close to him that I could smell his aftershave and
he would waltz me around the room and sing the words to me.

Dad I have to stand on my own two feet now and begin
another new chapter of my life, without you.

Capt
Joe Eastwood's words about an old friend and fellow soldier

My
first memory of Pete was at the depot Sutton Coldfield where he was
a Training Cpl.
During my somewhat disappointing time doing National Service, I had
formed a rather poor impression of what NCOs' were generally made of.
Pete dispelled many of those ideas, he was a charismatic, fit, handsome
Corporal who seemed to be everywhere at once, umpiring cricket, refereeing
football and all done with a great deal of good humour.

Later at Weeton, I recall that he was the
Officers mess steward, where many of our Officers recall that he was
very very highly thought of.

I also recall that it was my first year in the Sgt's mess and that Pete
was the PMC and that he organized one of the best Christmas Draws I
ever attended, even though he and Dot won just about everything.

In Hong Kong he was at the centre of mess
and family life, by then our two families were close friends and I got
to know just how many fine qualities he had, but this did not prevent
him hooking out my leg during the final of the Sgt's Mess limbo competition!

Following the demise of the Lancashire Fusiliers,
Pete went to 2RRF where for a time he was the family's office Staff
Sgt,
a role which he relished and was ideally suited for.

Later, we were to work closely together when
he became CSM of B Coy 2RRF and I was at that time commanding 5 platoon.

It was during this period that I observed
yet another fine quality, that of loyalty.
There had been a sequence of less than inspiring leaders inflicted upon
us, and Pete was fiercely loyal to them, he would not allow them to
be denigrated in his presence, a loyalty to be found much lacking in
certain senior NCOs' later in the life of our regiment.

His promotion to RSM came at a good time for
us, we had suffered a despot for the previous 2 years and Pete set about
the job in his usual efficient, quiet unassuming manner, setting a fine
example to all around him of how this challenging appointment should
be handled.

When he moved as RSM to our TA Bn, his reputation
went ahead of him and if anything became enhanced by the sterling work
he did leading part time soldiers.

To his dear family I say this:-

What though the radiance, which was once so
bright
Be now for ever taken from my sight,
Though nothing can bring back the hour
Of splendour in the grass,
of glory in the flower,
We will grieve not, rather find
Strength in what remains behind.